


What's in a Song?

by SilvermistAnimeLover



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Bonding, Fluff, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Time and Legend fluff, hurtfic, just at the beginning, ocarina, sandstorms, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:33:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29639547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilvermistAnimeLover/pseuds/SilvermistAnimeLover
Summary: A sandstorm traps Legend and Time in a cavern, where the two have a bit of a heart-to-heart. Time decides it's only right to share something with Legend.Fluffy (I hope) bonding fic with Legend and Time. Written as a birthday gift to my friend, RLin.
Relationships: Legend & Time (Linked Universe)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 108





	What's in a Song?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rlin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rlin/gifts).



The switch had been sudden, this time. One moment, they were fighting an infected group of monsters, and the next, Time found himself in the middle of a desert. He glanced around, unable to see anyone else. Had he been separated from everyone else, or had everyone ended up separated from each other? He hoped it was the former—some of their party had been injured during that fight. 

The wind howled around him, kicking up sand. A storm was looming ominously on the horizon, and he knew from experience that sandstorms moved a lot faster than they first appeared. He would need to find some kind of shelter as soon as possible, and hope that his boys did, too. 

For a brief moment, he wondered if calling the Song of Storms would make it rain, or simply bring the sandstorm upon him faster. 

He shook his head. Now was no time to debate such things. He glanced around, squinting in the hot desert sunlight. He thought he could make out some kind of cliff off in the distance. If he was lucky, there would be a cave he could hide out in. 

He cursed under his breath as his heavy armor had him sinking into the sand, making him exert more energy than he normally would. The storm looked a  _ lot _ closer, now, and he really hoped he’d make it to the cliffs in time. At the very least, there may be some kind of rock he could use to make a shelter with his shield. 

He was sweating profusely beneath his armor. It was  _ insanely _ hot. Perhaps this was Wild’s Hyrule, then. He always seemed to have the most extreme temperature fluctuations. Either way, the sand had gotten into his boots and had started to stick to his sweaty feet. Time wasn’t one for complaining, but  _ damn _ if walking with copious amounts of sand in his shoes didn’t hurt like hell. He wouldn’t be surprised if he had bleeding blisters when he finally had the chance to pour them out. 

He reached for his canteen and drank a small amount of water. He had no idea how long he’d be out here for, and didn’t want to waste anything. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked between the storm and his destination. He didn’t think he’d make it in time. That storm had moved unbelievably fast, and Time was now certain that it’d be upon him within the hour, if not half that. He stumbled as his foot caught on a rock, and it took a lot more effort than he’d like to admit to keep himself on his feet. He was using up far too much energy walking through this sand in this heat. 

But then the rock he’d tripped over  _ groaned _ . Time blinked as he looked behind him, spotting a splash of red. It took him a moment before he realized that he’d found  _ Legend _ —who appeared to be hurt. 

He was at his side in a moment, carefully turning the barely conscious hero over to ascertain the severity of his injuries. It didn’t look like anything too major—though that blood on his head had Time worried. He was sure he had a potion or Hearty Elixir on him, but… 

The wind howled. That storm wouldn’t wait. The best thing he could do right now was get Legend to some kind of shelter. He didn’t seem badly injured enough to prevent him moving him. 

That thought in mind, Time cautiously hoisted Legend up into his arms, careful to make sure that none of Legend’s skin touched his scorching hot armor. The hero groaned, leaning into him a bit, and Time couldn’t help but smile. 

Without his ever shining scowl, Legend looked a lot younger. Time could almost imagine the frightened boy who’d courageously set out on his first journey. His heart ached for the veteran. He’d been through more than most of them, and it  _ showed _ . Beyond the scars and the horde of items. It showed in the way he eyed the shadows as they rested in camp. It showed in the way he was always the first to respond to an ambush. His snappy remarks and pessimistic outlook on life, the way he acted as if everyone was out to get him and it was only a matter of when… 

Time could remember a time when he was very similar. In the years after Termina, he was almost exactly like Legend. The only difference is that he found Malon, and she showed him the beauty in the world again. 

One day, he hoped he could show Legend that same beauty. If there was one thing he could do, as an apology to these boys for his mistakes, he hoped he could at least give them lessons to carry with them through their lives. Because he didn’t want them to go through the same pains he did. 

A few grains of sand bounced off his armor, and he realized that the storm was upon them. He set his gaze on their destination, barely spotting what he  _ prayed _ was a cavern, and closed his eye. There was no point in trying to keep it open when the sands were upon them. 

He pulled up Legend’s shirt so the boy could breathe without inhaling sand, and ducked his own head in an attempt to do the same for himself. He still found himself coughing within seconds of the storm hitting them, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. 

Legend was what mattered, here. 

After an indeterminable period of time where he simply concentrated on putting one foot blindly in front of the other, his head knocked into something hard. He turned, running his shoulder along what he hoped was the cliff as he walked along it. He couldn’t feel it out with his hand without dropping Legend or the cloth that kept the sand from his injured companion’s lungs. 

Time was coughing hard enough for both of them, anyhow. He was starting to get dizzy. Between the heat, dehydration and now lack of oxygen, he knew he was minutes away from passing out—and that  _ wasn’t _ an option. 

He nearly fell sideways when the wall he’d been leaning against vanished with his next step, and the sand stopped accosting him. He blearily opened his eye, relief flooding him when he saw they’d entered a cave. 

It was dark and cool, and small rivulets of water ran down the back wall of the cave. He carefully set Legend down and took a swig from his canteen, rinsing the sand out of his mouth. He coughed again, still feeling the sand in his lungs. 

Time shook his head as he fished out a potion—a Hearty Elixir, much to his relief. Wild’s potions were a lot stronger than their usual stuff, and he wasted no time in tilting Legend’s head back to pour some of the elixir into his mouth. 

The hero coughed and spluttered a bit before drinking. He was careful to feed him little bits at a time, and after a few minutes, Legend cracked open an eye. 

“Time?” He questioned as said hero just smiled. 

“Drink.” He winced at the strangled scratchy sound that came from his throat, and from the look in Legend’s eye, he wasn’t happy with it. Regardless, Legend finished off the elixir. They waited a few minutes as it took effect, and Legend finally sat himself up. 

“Where are we?” He asked, fishing out a potion from his own pouch and handing it to Time. He went to protest when Legend continued. “Desert sands can cut up your lungs. That’s an injury. Lung injuries are nothing to take lightly.” 

Time sighed and downed the potion in one gulp. Almost instantly, his airways opened back up, and he felt sweet oxygen grace his system. He cleared his throat a few times before he spoke. “Thanks.” 

“It’s nothing.” Legend glanced over towards the mouth of the cavern. The sun was almost entirely blotted out with the thick haze of sand. “Desert? Any idea who’s?” 

“I think it may be Wild’s.” Time sighed, pulling off his boots and emptying out the sand. “It certainly felt hot enough.” 

Legend scoffed. “That kid’s a survivor, I’ll give ‘em that. I doubt many of us would’ve been able to journey through his Hyrule with the ease he seems to.” 

“Indeed.” Time smiled, glad that Legend was coherent again. “How’re you feeling?” 

“Sore as hell, but I’ll survive.” He sighed. “I always do.” It was muttered, and Time was quite sure he wasn’t meant to hear it. He didn’t comment on it. 

“Well, there’s nothing much to do here but wait out the storm.” Time smiled a bit, an odd feeling of nostalgia washing over him as he reached into his pouch and pulled out his ocarina. “How about some music?” 

“You know, I’ve seen you mess with that a lot, but I’ve never heard you play it.” Legend frowned. 

“This ocarina is… very special to me.” Time smiled down at the blue instrument in his hand. “It was given to me by Lullaby at the start of my first journey.” 

“Your first journey?” Legend raised an eye and Time realized he’d never spoken about either of his journeys in any real capacity beyond his accidentally breaking the timestream. 

“I’ve had two.” He smiled. “This is the very tool I used when I created the three separate timelines. This is the Ocarina of Time.” 

Legend’s eyes widened as he stared at the instrument with new respect. “Is it really okay to play it, then?” 

Time laughed. “Only one song can influence time, and I have no intentions of playing that.” 

Legend relaxed a bit. “So that’s it, huh? That’s what started everything.” 

“You could say that.” Time smiled a bit bitterly. “It’s also responsible for saving a lot of people. If you really want to get technical, the Master Sword was what started it all.” 

“How so?” Legend tilted his head. 

“I was ten when I first pulled the sword. Because I was so young, I was pulled into the Sacred Realm and forced into a seven year long slumber. It was because of that that I had to eventually shatter time itself.” Time sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

“I see.” Legend looked off to the side. “I once destroyed an entire island in an attempt to save it.” His eyes shadowed for a moment. “I killed a lot of people.  _ Innocent _ people.” 

Time placed a hand on his shoulder. There wasn’t really much he could say to that, but it explained a lot of Legend’s jaded nature. He hummed a bit as he palmed the ocarina. “I had a good friend, once. Her name was Saria. She taught me a song.” He smiled a bit as he glanced over at legend. “It always brightened my spirits when I was feeling down or alone. And I’d like to pass that song onto you.” 

Legend startled a bit. “M-me? But why? I’m not like Wind or Twilight—I’m not your successor.” 

Time shot him a smile. “Of course you are. You are as much family as they are.” He brought the ocarina to his lips.

The notes echoed in the cavern, an upbeat tune in the face of the hellish storm outside. For a moment, as he played, he could picture a girl with green hair and a smile like the sun. When he opened his eyes, he saw Legend, a soft smile on his face. 

“You look so happy when you play.” 

“That’s because I have good memories of that song.” Time smiled as he fished out a different ocarina. This one was the color of sand and was well loved. He held it for a long moment, cherishing each curve of the instrument before holding it out to Legend. “This is an ocarina given to me by Saria. And I want to pass it on to you.” 

Legend flinched lightly. “B-but why?” 

“I cannot pass on the Ocarina of Time. It will die with me. But that doesn’t mean the memories of a good friend can’t live on to bring some form of happiness to someone else I care deeply for.” He smiled as Legend carefully took the instrument. It was obvious to Time that he had never held an ocarina before. 

“You hold it… like this?” Legend mimicked Time, and the elder nodded. 

“Yeah. Make sure your thumbs are covering the holes at the bottom.” He felt an inexplicable wave of pride as he saw Legend smile softly at the instrument. “Let me teach you Saria’s Song.” 

Time wasn’t sure he’d ever seen Legend smile so genuinely as he did when he was playing that ocarina. 

“I… Thank you.” Legend said after they’d been playing for a while. 

“Just promise me you’ll remember all the good things when you play that song.” Time grinned. 

“I will.” Legend promised, turning the instrument over in his hands. Time knew he’d treasure that ocarina for the rest of his life. 

“Oh?” Time looked up when he realized it was quiet. “The storm’s stopped.” 

“Guess we should find the others.” Legend stood up and stretched. “But… maybe later… can you teach me more songs?” 

Time wrapped an arm around Legend’s shoulder. “You got it.” 


End file.
